Make/Shift/Bodies

Using realist pencil drawing, this exhibition centres around the idea of a body being simultaneously both a means to experience life and something of tremendous aesthetic value.

Her work tackles themes of womanhood, sex and the body, questioning and exposing untruths that society has convinced us about ourselves. Her drawings explore the weight of attention and value we give to our bodies, be it aesthetic, sexual or practical. Examining such ideas as casual sex, body dysmorphia and female identity, she delves into how we both sabotage and celebrate our bodies in the hope of making sense of our inner selves.

Eleanor portrays these concepts through an unorthodox format of drawing. The repeated patterns of squares, tiles and grids act as a window into the feeling and meaning of whatever is physically represented in the drawing. Cutting up a body into small squares, delving into the details, and losing sight of the bigger picture is her artistic process, and one that reflects how we each look at ourselves.

Eleanor Dunn is a realist pencil artist living in Leeds. After graduating from Leeds University in 2021 she has held her studio residence in Aire Street Workshops and Assembly House, working to give drawing and photorealism a better standing within the contemporary arts.